Hypatia
Hypatia was a fifth century Adept believed to be a member of the Order of Librarians who is credited with being the leading mathematician and philosopher in the known world at her time. The fact she was a woman is in itself credible, given the ancient world's noted hostility to such a phenomena. Hypatia lived in Alexandria, Egypt, and dedicated her life to progress and the pursuit of knowledge, even going so far as to remain a virgin her entire life. In her monastic-like mindset, Hypatia dared to question even the most cherished of beliefs and state her mind on a wide range of matters. She developed a following, both among the Initiated and Unitiated. Many Adepts from far and wide came to hear her lecture in the Alexandrian Museum on a wide range of topics. While not a Christian, Hypatia had come to know God as The Good, marking her as a member of the Neoplatonist Tribe. Ties to the Serpents?: Alexandria was a community divided between two major religious groups, the old school Pagans and the Christians of that era. The Serapeum, supposed to be a large and illustrious pagan temple, was in fact said to be one of the leading Chantries for the Order of Librarians/Serpents in the ancient world. During repeated revolts and city-wide rioting, Hypatia and her followers would take refuge in the Serapeum, always emerging unscathed afterwards. This has led many Adept historians to search for a link between Hypatia and the Infinite Library. In her time, Hypatia enjoyed a high degree of social influence, even over Roman administrators appointed by the Emperor himself. A favor granted by Serpent allies? The Great Apostasy: The Orders of Priests know that Hypatia, without realizing it, also helped trigger the Great Apostasy, a time of religious turmoil and revolt. Through intense study of nature and philosophical inquiry, Hypatia uncovered the Great Secret of the Priests all on her own. In her goodness, she shared it with her Adept followers. Unfortunately, lacking the maturity necessary to handle the truth of the Great Secret, many of those Adepts quickly devolved into renegades and reckless rioters. The Great Secret caused their powers to mutate and even affect the other members of their Orders. Both the Adept community as well as Alexandria, and even the world at large was thrown into chaos. Tribal tensions at the time flared, with a three-way string of violence between the Christians, the Pagans and even the Jews. That each party had agitators within it egging on the violence did not help matters. Eventually, peace was restored, but sadly it was at the total displacement of the Jews from Alexandria, the near eradication of the Pagans (certainly of their power base in the social hierarchy) and a rise in extremism among many of the Christian groups. Such developments also mirrored the wider world at that time. Death Of Hypatia: The death of Hypatia is one of the great murder mysteries in history, especially for the Adepts. Depending on who you ask, Hypatia was a saint and martyr for the cause of science, a witch who was executed for political treason, a social defector who unleashed the plague of the Great Apostasy, or merely a vulnerable target for political groups vying for power. Modern historians aren't even sure about who exactly killed her. The leading story is that during a particularly large riot in the city, Hypatia, who had been returning home, was grabbed by the mob and dragged into a nearby public center. There, she was beaten and brutally murdered. The mob that murdered her was Christian, possibly even the Parabalini, a band of religious extremists who may have had ties to the Order of Priests. However, another story is that Hypatia was in fact killed by a mob of rioting Christians and Pagans who sought to kill the wealthy and elite of the city. Another is that Hypatia was in fact assassinated by the Order of Serpents. Yet another theory states that the mob was agitated by agents of the Order of Priests who accused Hypatia of satanic rites and powers, and then gave away her location to the unruly mob (ostensibly, this was done in retaliation for her discovery of their Great Secret). In one version she was beaten to death in public, in another she was skinned alive in a pagan temple, in a third she was stoned to death in a Christian house of worship... Hypatia's Legacy: The Order of Librarians views Hypatia as something akin to a saint and martyr for academic progress. She is held in high esteem as an example of what can be achieved through inquiry and trust in goodness. She is also used as an example of what can happen to even the best of people when society goes mad. As for the other Orders, Hypatia is seen as a great woman, an example of how the knowledge of God can enlighten any mind. Her death was an unfortunate tragedy, and a warning to future generations on what happens when Tribal tensions reach a boiling point in society. Hypatia's Final Lesson: Shortly before her death, Hypatia was asked whether she would give in to the pressure and convert. She replied, "You can't question your faith, I cannot live like that." This was one of the last sayings attributes to Hypatia and has since been dubbed 'Hypatia's Final Lesson.' References: -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpDL8N0p6FA -http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/279463/Hypatia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HypatiaCategory:Children Of The Nile Category:Codex Category:Feminine